Wadding for whale guns



March 1933. G. E. BROFELTH WADDING FOR WHALE GUNS Filed April 28, 1932Fig.1. F192.

6.5.Brofc [#1 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 GUSTAV EMANUEL BROFEL'I'I-I, OFHALMISTAD SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TO AKTIEBOLAGET QMALCUS HOLMQUIS'I, OFHALMSTAD, SVTEDEN I whnnlrre FOR WHALE GUNS Application filed April 28,1932, Serial No. 608,080, and in Norway April 13, 1931.

This invention relates to a wadding for whale guns or the likeconsisting of a plu rality of round plates placed upon each other andkept together as a unit with end pieces of rubber or the like. 7

One object of the invention is to obtain the most suitable yieldingpower between projectile (harpoon) and charge of gunpowder in the firingmoment. A further object is to provide the best possible tighteningmeans although the wadding at the same time is of such a size that itcan be easily introduced into the gun barrel.

The elastic properties of a gunwad are of greatest importance in orderto obtain the same shooting results from one shot to another. A harpoon,for instance, can easily be damaged (deformed), if the elasticity isinsuiiicient and the shots will be irregular. A good tightening entailsthat the powder gases do not tear asunder the wadding in the firingmoment, but that always the same high discharge speed is obtained and asa result thereof a great range and even shooting results.

The characteristic feature of this invention is that the platesalternately are of different diameter and that the larger plates consistof a soft and elastic material, such as felt, while the smaller platesconsist of a harder material.

The yielding power is obtained by means of the felt but may also beproduced thereby that adjacent plates are convex in the same or oppositedirections and in the same or different degree. Although these platesrest against each other they are not pressed close together, but admitof a further pressing together during the firing, by means of which thekick against the harpoon base ismodified. This elasticity can beobtained merely by a sufiicient'softness of the plates. They can consistof relatively thin elastic plates of metal or pasteboard to alternatewith rela tively thick plates of fulled felting.

If plates of harder and more soft material alternate, and moreover thediameter of the harder or stiffer, i. e. the less elastic plates is madeequal to or smaller than the calibre of the gun barrel, and thediameters of the more soft plates larger than the calibre, the bestresult is obtained, because when pressed together during the firing thesoft plates spread a little and press with their edges against the wallsof the gun barrel, so that a good packing for the powder gases issecured. WVhen the wadding is not pressed to gether it is consequentlythinner than during the firing and can therefore easily be inserted intothe gun barrel.

The attached drawing shows by way of ex-, ample difierent forms of theinvention.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the complete wadding seen from the side and Figs. 3-6some of itsother plate 2 is made of soft or supple material, e. g.felting, and the plates 3 of harder or stifier material, such aspasteboard 0 metal.

The soft plates 2 have a larger diameter than the gun calibre, and thehard plates 3 preferably a little smaller diameter than the gun calibre.When the soft plates are made convex, as the plates2a in Fig. 3, and theintervening plates 3a are p1ane, an elasticity ensues at the pressingtogether axially, not only on account of the suppleness of the plates 20but also as a result of their convex form. When pressed together thematerial in the plates 2a is moved outwards against the walls of the gunbore. In .Fig. 4 the plates 2?) are made thicker in the middle.

Also in this event the plates 2?) become extended radially when pressedby the plates 36, and a. good packing against the walls of the gun boreis procured. The plates can so I.

have also other forms. The larger plates 20 can thus be arranged inpairs and be convex or conical with the bases against each other,

as shown in Fig. 5. And the plates 30 can They can also be ar 2doutwards against the walls of the gun The plates are held together in asuitable manner, for instance by a metal wire 8 pulled through, so thatthe wadding and the charge of gunpowder constitute a unit. One orseveral of the foremost plates 2, 3 next to the plate 1, are soaked intallow or other fatty substance in order to prevent water from cominginto the gunpowder.

The India rubber plate La in Fig. 2 can be provided with grooves 7 whichform intervening flanges similar to the flanges formed by the plates 2and 3 and lying against the wall of the gun bore and constitute a goodpacking for the gunpowder gases, in order to protect the felt platesagainst the powder gases during the firing. The plate 40; can also beformed of several thin plates of mutually different diameter and degreeof hardness' I claim 1. Awadding for whale guns comprising a pluralityof round plates upon each other and kept together as a unit, the platesbeing alternately of different diameter and the larger plates consistingof a soft and elastic material while the smaller plates consist ofharder material, the soft platesbein planeand the hard plates beingconical and arranged in pairs with the bases against each other. i

2. A wadding for whale guns comprising a plurality of round pla es uponeach other and kept together as a unit, the plates being altern tely ofdifferent diameter and the larger plates consisting of a soft andelastic material while the smaller plates consist of harder material,the soft plates b ing plane and the hard plates being conical andarranged in pairs with the bases againsteach other, more than one pairof hard plates arranged between the soft plates.

3. A wadding for whale guns comprising aplurality of round plates uponeach other and'kept together as a unit, the plates being alternately ofdifferent diameter, the larger plates consisting of fulled felting andthe smaller. plates of pasteboard, the soft plates being plane and thehard plates being conical and arranged in pairs with the -bases againsteach other.

LA wadding for Whale guns comprising-a plurality of round plates uponeach other and kept together as a unit, the plates being alternately ofdifferent diameter, the larger plates consisting of fulled felting andthe smaller plates of-pasteboard, the soft of a metal wire.

plates being plane and the hard plates being conical and arranged inpairs with the bases against each other, more than one pair of hardplates arranged between the soft plates.

-5. Awadding for whale, guns. comprising aplurality of round platesuponeach other and kept together as a unit, the plates being alternatelyof different diameter, the larger plates consisting of fulled feltingand the smaller plates of pasteboard, the soft plates 7 being plane andthe hard plates being conical and arranged in pairs with "the basesagainst each other, more than one pair of hard plates arrangedbetweenthesoft plates, all the plates being held together by means Intestimony whereof *1 have signed my name to this specification.

GUSTAV- EMANUEL BROFELTH.

